Most parents are looking for ways to keep their kids' minds sharp during the summer…and it helps if those activities don't actually look like learning on the outside. That's why I was thrilled to find this excellent list of podcasts on Edutopia. Some of them are already shows I listen to regularly, like This American Life, StoryCorps, andRadiolab, all of which I would highly recommend. Others, like Invisibiliaare new to me but sound fascinating (this show explores the hidden forces that influence human behavior). The podcasts listed involve a range of topics from science to human behavior to personal stories.Most on this list are more suitable for children in middle and high school, but there are alsopodcasts for elementary age students.

While some shows, like This American Life, last an hour, others are 20 minutes. Podcasts lend themselves to mutual listening and can be excellent conversation starters. And who knows, your child might even be inspired enough by what they hear to start creating their own podcasts this summer!